New House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) raised eyebrows Friday after U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink posted a photo announcing that she met with the Speaker to discuss Ukraine aid.
“An honor to meet @SpeakerJohnson to discuss the importance of enabling Ukraine to stop Russian aggression in Europe,” Brink posted Friday morning in English and Ukrainian.
The post generated surprise from journalists as well as across the political spectrum.
Johnson has previously voted against sending more aid to Ukraine, but since becoming House Speaker, he has expressed openness to the idea.
The Associated Press reported that Johnson told senators that Ukraine “needs U.S. aid”:
The new speaker told the senators Ukraine needs U.S. aid as it battles Russia, but that there was no way President Joe Biden’s request for a nearly $106 billion supplemental funding request that included Israel could be passed through the House.
Johnson’s meeting with Brink comes during a massive fight in Congress over sending more aid to Ukraine.
Congress has already committed $113 billion in American taxpayer funds to Ukraine since February 2022 — roughly $5 billion per month since Russia invaded Ukraine.
In August, the Biden administration requested $24 billion more to last through the end of 2023, but House Republicans effectively killed that plan, taking down former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) at the same time.
Now, the Biden administration has requested $61 billion for Ukraine as part of a package of $105 billion that would also include $14 billion for Israel as it battles the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.
Johnson instead split funding for Ukraine and Israel, and the House passed a bill to fund Israel alone but promised to put a bill combining Ukraine and border security on the House floor next. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said he opposes splitting the funding and would not take up the House bill.
A newly released Gallup poll published Thursday showed that a plurality of Americans say the U.S. has done too much for Ukraine.
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